Stop aerial pesticide, herbicide spraying
This is a follow-up letter to a previous letter that I wrote this spring. The issue is the aerial pesticide spraying of alders and salmonberries on Long Island in Southeast Alaska, proposed by Klukwan Inc.

Doll is best candidate for House District 4
Now is a very good time to vote for a change here in Juneau in the Alaska House District 4 race. I support Andrea Doll for this seat. Andrea is a compassionate, ethical, intelligent and effective leader.

Sound advice: Don't drink while pregnant
With numerous opportunities for parties and festivities during the upcoming holiday season, I would like to remind women of the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Oppose aerial wolf shooting on canal
With all the attention on the Board of Game's proposal to open areas close to Pack Creek to brown bear hunting, another important issue has had little attention. Even the well-written Empire article of Oct. 20 missed the most important component of Proposal 40, which also is up before the Board of Game.

Build the road; it's the right thing to do
In September, my wife and I took the ferry from our home in Juneau to Haines and returned. Including the pickup and 23-foot camper, the cost of the ferry trip was $398. From the end of the Juneau road system to Haines is 45 miles. The fuel for the next 2,100 miles was $500.

Coeur made choices, has itself to blame
There is an old adage that a shortcut is the longest way between two points. Recent events seem to bare that out when it comes to Coeur Alaska's Kensington Mine. Coeur had the choice to do it right or try to cut corners.

Metcalfe, explain jab at N. Dakota
Mr. Ray Metcalfe suggested in his Friday letter that anyone voting for either Tony Knowles or former Republican members of the state House or Senate should "move to North Dakota. That would raise the average IQ or both states."

Keep an eye on EPA regional administrator
I believe Alaskans have reason to be concerned by President Bush's recent decision to appoint Elin D. Miller as the Environmental Protection Agency's regional administrator for Region 10, which includes Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

Lake belongs to the many, not the few
The people that are against personal watercraft on Auke Lake need to get a life and quit lying. All the years I've wake skated on that lake, I've seen no more than five to eight personal watercrafts at one time. And it seems to take a very nice day for people to bring them out.

Wanamaker didn't let other side speak
When Randy Wanamaker decided to run for higher office, and I read that he attributed some of his contributions to his support of development, I felt it was time to expose his behavior as a public official.

Wanamaker's views win over new voter
I am a recently naturalized citizen who will be voting in November for the first time. I have given my choices a lot of thought, and I am going to vote for Randy Wanamaker for House District 4.

Group works to save cutter
She's old. Really old. Some call her "grandma." Even at full steam, her three engines can only manage 14 knots.

Ferries overlooked in campaigns
Forgotten highway: An aerial view of the Echo Cove area is seen May 15. Alaska's Marine Highway system, which has drawn criticism from residents who support a proposed road in the area, has been largely overlooked by

Seniors want longevity checks back
Senior citizens will consider financial security and affordable living when casting their ballots on Nov. 7, many long-time Alaskans have said.

My turn: Alaskans own the gas; not Big Oil
We own Alaska's natural gas, and as owners it is up to us to make sure our gas gets to market. That means demanding performance from those who lease the rights to develop our resources.

Alaska editorial: Courts are wrong place to resolve education funding
Alaska's Constitution requires the state to provide "a system of public schools open to all children." Nowhere in the constitution does it say the courts are empowered to decide if teachers are paid enough money, if students are passing enough tests, or if legislators are giving school districts enough money per student.

My Turn: Rage over a 'foolish solution'
My passion was piqued recently when conversing with an ex-Juneau road builder who had contributed to the paving of Egan Highway, from the Glacier Highway cutoff at the valley McDonald's to Highland Drive.

Reflecting on a vanishing landmark
On bluebird days the cerulean hue inside a crevasse of the Mendenhall Glacier is so deep and rich it competes with the sun and the sky for brilliance. Not only is it beautiful to look at, a glacial crevasse offers a glimpse into the time capsule that is the belly of the glacier.

Hunting among the forces that shape duck behavior
There can't be very many towns in North America that have a sizable wetland and wildlife refuge right in their midsections. We have this extraordinary resource that is accessible to almost everyone and used in different ways by many folks - and by lots of wildlife.

Sports in Juneau
Sports in Juneau is a service provided by the Juneau Empire to provide information on upcoming sports and outdoors events in Juneau.

JDHS girls wins regional swimming title
The defending state champion Juneau-Douglas High School girls swimming and diving team won the Southeast Conference championship Saturday in commanding fashion in Petersburg.

Sports in Juneau
Sports in Juneau is a service provided by the Juneau Empire to provide information on upcoming sports and outdoors events in Juneau.

Governor calls for session on state benefits
Gov. Frank Murkowski on Friday called a special session of the Legislature to determine how the state of Alaska should implement court-ordered benefits for same-sex domestic partners of state employees and retirees.

AFN delegates call for improved public safety
Rural village public safety officers remain underpaid and overworked, conditions contributing to their falling numbers, officers said at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention.

Salons a treat for some attendees in Anchorage
Posters of glam girls and guys with sultry eyes and lush hair line the walls of JC Penney Salon. Health worker Marcia Aceveda of Kake, a Tlingit village about 100 air miles southwest of Juneau, didn't need anything that exotic. She was just happy not to have to cut off her own hair.

Children's shelter group to close
A private group that runs a shelter for homeless and runaway youth in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough will hand off its programs to a social service agency.

FBI probe changes political landscape
Facts are hard to come by in the ongoing federal investigation into corruption in Alaska politics, but it has still managed to change the political landscape in the campaign for the Nov. 7 election.

Burglaries increase in Anchorage
Last year, Police Sgt. Ron Tidler said, his burglary unit handled about 30 burglary cases a week. Now, the number is up to 50 break-ins a week.

Report finds women earning less than men at UAF
A study by the University of Alaska Fairbanks unearthed a statistic that is troubling, but not new: women employed at the university earn on average about 83 cents for every dollar earned by their male colleagues.